I had heard that the movie was shy about mentioning the Germans and was a little loose with the history, so I thought it would be fun to watch the movie whilst pretending that I had never heard about WW2 and didn't know anything about it. So that's what I did.

By watching the movie in this vacuum I learned that... Dunkirk was an incident in WW2 where about 200 British and French soldiers died on the beach (and in the sea) at Dunkirk during a very light bombing campaign by "the enemy" who I THINK might have been the Germans.

The director seemed to want to highlight the feelings of desperation that were paramount among the british troops there. The Battle of France was lost, and they were either going to debark back to England immediately or get shot/bombed to pieces at any moment...followed by getting captured (failing their country in spectacular fashion in front of the entire world). It was a mood movie containing the least amount of action necessary to the plot.

I think Nolan accomplished what he set out to do. It was a quintessentially english movie: stiff upper lip and all that. The indifference of the waves breaking on what was otherwise a pleasant beach, the long periods of quiet, the calm composure of the men, and the smooth, emotionless sounds of the Spitfire's flight, whether serenely arrowing straight through the air or maneuvering for a burst of kill shot, set the tone for the entire movie. The defeat itself wasn't really a defeat so much as a challenge to the self discipline of the men to be overcome with guts and brave reserve, and the only real defeat was depicted when the distraught soldier aboard a private rescue boat panics and causes the death of a boy. Even that spectacle is met with the stern determination and measured calm shown by men of purpose exemplified by the captain of that boat, as well as the Admiral played by Branagh. Stiff upper lip mate, or all is lost.

The movie could have set the stage by showing scenes of the hellish combat of unstoppable german combat power butchering the French, mauling the BEF, and simply eating whole the allied attempts to hold the Germans back the way a crocodile destroys a drowning gazelle. It could have shown us the bravery of the french forces fighting hopeless last ditch engagements to give the troops at Dunkirk more time. It could have shown the glee of the german men and commanders realizing the extent of their "miracle" victory (they did not expect victory to come so crushingly quick), counterposed against the mortification of the British and French seeing everything crumble....leading to threatened climax vision of impending bloodbath on the beach. It could have shown us emotional action and incredible carnage the way most war movies do. ....but Nolan either didn't want to direct another Saving Private Ryan or he didn't have the money to spend depicting those battles. So it was a quiet mood movie about how death stalks those who fight wars with merciless cruelty. It was a british film: the men maintained their discipline, the RAF gallantly downed Hun after Hun, and the Navy came through with the help of privateer Englishmen...while the French were absent and the Germans were simply represented by their bombs, bullets, and machines.

Jolly Good Show!

__________________
He couldn't win from day 1. My predictions are always accurate.
--- inevitab1e (the baked potato)
Some of you are thinking that you won't fight. Others, that you can't fight. They all say that, until they're out there....
--- Proximo, Gladiator
"...and I have an angry mob, that will roast and eat your 'men of quality' in the ashes of the Senate House" --- Marc Antony, HBO's ROME

The director seemed to want to highlight the feelings of desperation that were paramount among the british troops there. The Battle of France was lost, and they were either going to debark back to England immediately or get shot/bombed to pieces at any moment...followed by getting captured (failing their country in spectacular fashion in front of the entire world). It was a mood movie containing the least amount of action necessary to the plot.

I think Nolan accomplished what he set out to do. It was a quintessentially english movie: stiff upper lip and all that. The indifference of the waves breaking on what was otherwise a pleasant beach, the long periods of quiet, the calm composure of the men, and the smooth, emotionless sounds of the Spitfire's flight, whether serenely arrowing straight through the air or maneuvering for a burst of kill shot, set the tone for the entire movie. The defeat itself wasn't really a defeat so much as a challenge to the self discipline of the men to be overcome with guts and brave reserve, and the only real defeat was depicted when the distraught soldier aboard a private rescue boat panics and causes the death of a boy. Even that spectacle is met with the stern determination and measured calm shown by men of purpose exemplified by the captain of that boat, as well as the Admiral played by Branagh. Stiff upper lip mate, or all is lost.

The movie could have set the stage by showing scenes of the hellish combat of unstoppable german combat power butchering the French, mauling the BEF, and simply eating whole the allied attempts to hold the Germans back the way a crocodile destroys a drowning gazelle. It could have shown us the bravery of the french forces fighting hopeless last ditch engagements to give the troops at Dunkirk more time. It could have shown the glee of the german men and commanders realizing the extent of their "miracle" victory (they did not expect victory to come so crushingly quick), counterposed against the mortification of the British and French seeing everything crumble....leading to threatened climax vision of impending bloodbath on the beach. It could have shown us emotional action and incredible carnage the way most war movies do. ....but Nolan either didn't want to direct another Saving Private Ryan or he didn't have the money to spend depicting those battles. So it was a quiet mood movie about how death stalks those who fight wars with merciless cruelty. It was a british film: the men maintained their discipline, the RAF gallantly downed Hun after Hun, and the Navy came through with the help of privateer Englishmen...while the French were absent and the Germans were simply represented by their bombs, bullets, and machines.

Jolly Good Show!

...was the fact that Hitler halted several armored divisions and let the British escape as a show of good will or rather than exterminate them which he certainly could have done so otherwise. Evil knows no gratitude.
The British "killed the wrong pig" as Churchill later wrote as the Iron Curtain fell across Europe until 1989.

...was the fact that Hitler halted several armored divisions and let the British escape as a show of good will or rather than exterminate them which he certainly could have done so otherwise. Evil knows no gratitude.
The British "killed the wrong pig" as Churchill later wrote as the Iron Curtain fell across Europe until 1989.

^^^^
This revisionism gets you one ounce of pyrite.

__________________If we mean to have heroes, statesmen and philosophers, we should have learned women.-Abigail Adams
this is not CNN or FOX (we're probably more accurate!)-LL HaydenSomeday I'll get my marxist utopia! -LL's GeorgeBushYeah but they're Moozlims. Kill 'em all! -WimblyIn other words it's always their fault for not voting Republican. - Wimbly

...was the fact that Hitler halted several armored divisions and let the British escape as a show of good will or rather than exterminate them which he certainly could have done so otherwise. Evil knows no gratitude.
The British "killed the wrong pig" as Churchill later wrote as the Iron Curtain fell across Europe until 1989.

How do you know he stopped as an act of "Good will"? Were you Hitler in a previous life?..He stopped because he didnt want to lose or suffer too much damage to his precious armoured divisions..which the German army was built around. If he had sent them in the whole force would have had to defend rather than leave..Massive casualties for both sides, Hitler hated Britain..the few bits where he called us "The Motherland" were when he was trying to get us to join him..because he knew he could very well be fucked if we didnt..Hitler was a moron..he did exactly what Napolean did..and lost hundreds of thousands of the bravest troops around..he wasnt a hero..he would have been exactly like Stalin if he had won..i suppose you would love that..all the nice uniforms.

__________________
ATTENTION:Bran is the hottest man on LL
"Im sorry to inform you that your Penis is too mighty for our group Bran. It scares us."[Dwencl]
Paulingrad in the Drone leaving thread...
"don't do a vietnam on us drone, stand and fight !"
!

__________________
ATTENTION:Bran is the hottest man on LL
"Im sorry to inform you that your Penis is too mighty for our group Bran. It scares us."[Dwencl]
Paulingrad in the Drone leaving thread...
"don't do a vietnam on us drone, stand and fight !"
!

How do you know he stopped as an act of "Good will"? Were you Hitler in a previous life?..He stopped because he didnt want to lose or suffer too much damage to his precious armoured divisions..which the German army was built around. If he had sent them in the whole force would have had to defend rather than leave..Massive casualties for both sides, Hitler hated Britain..the few bits where he called us "The Motherland" were when he was trying to get us to join him..because he knew he could very well be fucked if we didnt..Hitler was a moron..he did exactly what Napolean did..and lost hundreds of thousands of the bravest troops around..he wasnt a hero..he would have been exactly like Stalin if he had won..i suppose you would love that..all the nice uniforms.

I can't rep ya but you deserve one million 's

__________________If we mean to have heroes, statesmen and philosophers, we should have learned women.-Abigail Adams
this is not CNN or FOX (we're probably more accurate!)-LL HaydenSomeday I'll get my marxist utopia! -LL's GeorgeBushYeah but they're Moozlims. Kill 'em all! -WimblyIn other words it's always their fault for not voting Republican. - Wimbly

__________________
ATTENTION:Bran is the hottest man on LL
"Im sorry to inform you that your Penis is too mighty for our group Bran. It scares us."[Dwencl]
Paulingrad in the Drone leaving thread...
"don't do a vietnam on us drone, stand and fight !"
!

__________________If we mean to have heroes, statesmen and philosophers, we should have learned women.-Abigail Adams
this is not CNN or FOX (we're probably more accurate!)-LL HaydenSomeday I'll get my marxist utopia! -LL's GeorgeBushYeah but they're Moozlims. Kill 'em all! -WimblyIn other words it's always their fault for not voting Republican. - Wimbly